Rounded With A Sleep
by MizJoely
Summary: Begins with a wedding, ends with a funeral; a prequel of sorts for my not-yet-posted story "One Door Closes" (coming soon). Currently Maiko and Kataang, but Things Change, Hints Are Dropped, and, oh yeah, someone dies. The follow-up will be Zutara. Final chapter now up.
1. The Marriage of True Minds

**One Year After Zuko's Crowning & the End of the War**

**Aang**

"Aang! Stop fidgeting!"

The Avatar stuck a finger between his too-tight collar and his neck as Katara hissed at him in obvious annoyance. "This stupid thing's choking me!" he hissed back.

She squeezed the hand she was holding, but not sympathetically; he could tell by the way she was scrunching her nose and squinting her eyes that she was definitely annoyed with him. "Zuko's collar is just as tight and you don't hear him complaining!"

How she managed that hissing-from-the-side-of-her-mouth-so-her-lips-hardly-moved thing Aang wasn't sure, and definitely had never mastered. He opened his own mouth to snap back only to receive another warning squeeze and a narrowed-eye glare to go along with it while a sound suspiciously like a smothered snort came from Zuko's throat.

Aang swallowed his intended retort, that guys didn't have as much leeway in their clothing choices when it came to wedding ceremonies as women did. Her own blue silks, for example, were loose and comfortable at the bottom and snugly fitted at the top, but her collar, unlike his, was open in the front and tied in a bow at the back of her neck. A bow that clearly left more than single finger's space between the knot and the nape. So unfair.

It made him want to whine that they'd been standing for hours and the stupid wedding ceremony hadn't even started yet, but knew she'd be even less sympathetic if he showed signs of acting like a child. He was fourteen now, as she constantly reminded him; more than old enough to stand still for hours at a time when ceremony dictated that he do so.

He hated when Katara got all lecture-y on him like that, but it wasn't nearly as often as it had been in the past year, since the end of the war and the beginning of something approaching peace. He wasn't sure if it was because he really was growing up or just because he was getting used to it. Standing around, that is. For hours. Like today.

Still, the upside was that he got to do so with Katara at his side, all the time, as his girlfriend. He felt a goofy grin spread across his face at the thought; how had he managed to get so lucky? Yeah, she got a bit motherly and lectured him but she was two years older than him, after all, and had spent the first year they'd known each other basically acting as a mother figure, so it wasn't like he wasn't used to it. She lectured Sokka just as much, and he didn't have the consolation of having her kiss him afterwards and tell him she loved him.

Well, of course she loved her brother, and she did kiss him, but on the cheek. And she certainly didn't love him the way she loved Aang…

Ugh. He shuddered at the weird direction his thoughts were leading him. Better try and focus on one of the meditative techniques he'd been working on to try and get him through events like this. Well, the standing around part of such events; he loved the fact that it was a wedding, he just wished there wasn't so much in the way of politics involved.

Just one of the many pitfalls of being the best man at the Fire Lord's wedding.

There was a stirring in the crowd near the temple doors; was Mai finally making her appearance? He blew out a silent breath of relief as the doors opened to reveal her in all her bride-y glory. She was decked out in Fire Nation reds and golds instead of her usual black, and even he had to admit it suited her. As did the radiant smile she wore on her face.

Well, radiant for Mai. For anyone else it would have been a subdued little quirk of the lips, but he knew Mai better than he had a year ago, and for her, this was absolutely beaming with joy. He guessed she'd always be reserved, but when he glanced over at Zuko he saw the Fire Lord was grinning broadly enough for both of them.

Aang tugged gently at Katara's hand to get her attention, then rolled his eyes to indicate Zuko. She glanced sideways and gave a tiny nod, her own smile as open and happy as that of their former enemy. She was standing at the end of the aisle down which Mai was about to walk, not as a part of the wedding ceremony but strictly as Aang's girlfriend. Ty Lee, radiant in her usual pink, was the fourth member of their group, acting at Mai's best friend in place of the other girl's parents, who had been invited and were standing proudly in the front of the gathering but had been deliberately excluded from the actual ceremony.

"Why should they get to act all proud and give you over to me when they gave up on you a long time ago?" had been Zuko's less-than-diplomatic question to his bride-to-be when the plans started humming along for the wedding they were currently attending. "Ty Lee's always been there for you, don't you want her to be with you instead of them?"

Mai had agreed without a murmur of further protest, which Aang thought odd until Katara pointed out that she'd only said something in the first place because she felt she had to. "She's totally relieved, can't you tell?" she'd asked, and he'd been forced to agree, once he thought about it. Still, it seemed weird to keep family out of a wedding except as guests, but he hadn't grown up in Mai's household and had nothing to say on the matter.

Well, he would have plenty to say after the ceremony was over, when he had to give a speech. A year ago the thought of doing so would have put him into a panic; now, he'd given so many speeches—many of them at weddings—that he could practically do them in his sleep.

Not that he'd be doing so here; Katara would kill him, for one thing, and he wouldn't want to let Zuko down, for another.

Mai was moving again; another warning squeeze from Katara brought his mind front and center, where it belonged.

**Mai**

Mai made her stately way down the aisle, long skirts dragging behind her along the cool tiled floor. She was in a daze and hoped it didn't show on her face. Of course, she'd spent a lifetime mastering a disinterested façade so she doubted it was failing her now, but still. She wanted to look regal and cool and proper, the exact way a Fire Lady-to-be should look on her wedding day.

However, when her eyes met Zuko's, all she could think was how happy he looked, a wide grin on his face, nothing stoic or regal or proper about it. He looked eager to see her, and she felt her own lips curling up in an answering smile as she continued to glide smoothly down the aisle toward her him. Today was their wedding day, after a year-long betrothal, and she'd never been happier.

She just wished Azula was well enough to join them.

Thinking about her about-to-become Sister-in-law wiped the smile from her face just as she reached Zuko's side. She hastily composed her expression, erasing the tiny frown before, hopefully, anyone noticed as they all turned and knelt to face the elderly Fire Sage about to bestow his blessing on them. The rustle of fabric filled the throne room, the flicker of flames in front of her eyes was mesmerizing, and she quickly banished Azula to the back of her mind.

This was her day, hers and Zuko's. Absent friends would have to wait.

Before the Fire Sage began to speak, however, she felt Zuko's hand surreptitiously resting on hers, giving a small squeeze of encouragement. She squeezed back, carefully maintaining her serene expression even though she was shouting with joy on the inside. She was saving any external shouts of joy for their wedding night.

She'd waited so long for this moment, and now it was finally happening; she and Zuko were about to married. Then they would be together forever, sharing each other's lives and beds. She could hardly wait.

She was so distracted by thoughts of the future that she barely heard the Fire Sage as he blessed their union, but was forced back into the moment when it came time for her to be crowned Fire Lady. She rose to her feet, heart pounding, then turned and faced the audience of friends and family, well-wishers and important political guests, representatives of the other nations, all of them smiling, eyes fixed on her as the golden flame that symbolized her future was nestled into her elaborately braided and coiled hairdo.

Then it was done; she and Zuko were married, she was the new Fire Lady, and the entire room erupted into cheers and clapping and laughter while Zuko took her in his arms and kissed her, right there in front of everybody, and she didn't even care if her mother disapproved of public displays of affection. That tight-lipped, frigid bitch could go scratch from now on, go back to Omashu with her father and Tom-Tom, who'd been remarkably well behaved today, and never show her face in the capital again.

Mai caught her breath as she realized how venomous her thoughts had become on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. As she gazed into Zuko's eyes at the end of the kiss, she vowed never to let her relationship with her mother ruin so much as a single second of her life as Fire Lady.

She had far too much to be happy about now to let such grief into her heart ever again.

* * *

_A/N 1: The chapter title is from Shakespear's sonnets: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds/  
Admit impediments."_

_A/N 2: This story will have four chapters, most of which are actually (for once!) already written and edited and ready to go. I know I usually write Zutara, and trust me, this is really a prequel of sorts for another story I have on the burner entitled "One Door Closes." I was going to wait, especially since I'm still struggling with "After the Happily Ever After", but this was one stubborn plot bunny and so, here it is. Other chapters to be posted soonish. Promise._


	2. Blood Will Have Blood

**Three Months Later**

**Katara**

"Katara! Thank Agni you're here!"

Zuko sounded distraught; what had happened? Katara hurriedly dismounted from Appa's saddle, leaving Aang behind to take care of stabling the oversized flying bison as she raced to Zuko's side. Whatever it was, it must be bad; he'd never personally come to meet them the second they arrived before, since he was usually too busy in trying to run a nation and deal with the aftermath of war for such social niceties, no matter how much he might want to do just that.

"Zuko? What's wrong?" She and Aang had arrived for what she thought was to be a routine diplomatic visit after a month-long tour of the Earth Kingdom; what new catastrophe had befallen them during their journey here?

"It's Mai," he replied tersely, taking her by the arm and hurrying her along with him back to the palace. "She's sick, some kind of bleeding disorder. The healers are doing all they can, but I know you can help her. Bloodbending can help with this kind of thing, can't it?"

"I don't know, I hope so, but Zuko, I have to tell you, I can only Bloodbend during the full moon, and that's almost a week away!"

He turned to her with desperate eyes. "You can stay until then, can't you?"

She nodded. "Of course." Never mind that she and Aang were scheduled to head for the North Polar Water Tribes by then; if necessary, he could go on without her. She heard the sound of running feet behind them and turned her head to see Aang rushing to catch up with them.

When he breathlessly asked what was wrong, she explained while a grim-faced Zuko kept them speeding down corridor after corridor until they reached what Katara assumed to be the personal wing of the palace where Zuko and Mai lived.

She'd never been there before, only in the public areas and the guest quarters. The room they entered was opulent but with an understated elegance that Katara would have appreciated under other circumstances.

Mai was lying in the middle of the large, ovate bed, her face drawn and paler than normal. She managed a small smile for Zuko and even a polite nod for Katara and Aang before weakly dropping her head back to the pillow and shutting her eyes. "Zuko, I told you, you didn't have to ask them to come," she said, her voice sounding just as weak no matter how even she strove to keep her tone even. "I'm sorry, it's nothing, the healers are working on it…"

"And getting nowhere," Zuko interrupted, gently but firmly as he sat on the edge of the bed and took his wife's hand in his. "Please, Mai, let Katara try to help."

"Whatever you want," Mai replied, and Katara could see the love that shone in her eyes as her gaze met that of her husband. Even though her expression remained as, well, expressionless, as usual, there was no hiding how those two felt about one another.

Just as there was no hiding how she and Aang felt about one another. Her heart surged with affection as she glanced at her boyfriend. He'd grown up so much in the past year and a half, his voice deepening even as he finally showed signs of getting taller than her. And his duties as the Avatar had matured him as well; he positively thrived in the peacetime atmosphere that was beginning to prevail since Zuko had defeated his sister and been crowned Fire Lord.

None of which, she chided herself, was important right now. She stepped forward. "Mai, I don't know if you've heard of Bloodbending, but it's an ability some Waterbenders have when the moon is full. I've never had the opportunity to use its healing properties on anything except slowing the bleeding from wounds, but I want to do whatever I can to help you, if you'll let me."

Mai nodded, visibly weaker than she had been even a moment ago. "I'd like to examine you first, when you're feeling up to it." She could tell that it was a struggle at this point for Mai to even keep her eyes open.

It was Zuko who responded. "After she gets some rest. First thing in the morning is when she usually feels best. Right?" This last was lovingly directed at his wife, whose lips curled up in a faint smile before her eyes closed and she dropped into sleep.

Zuko ushered them out of the room and led them to his private office, where they took seats on the low cushions under the open window that offered a stunning view of the extinct volcanic cone in the distance and the palace gardens in the foreground. A view he seemed not to notice even as he gazed out the window. "I'm really worried. Like I told you, the healers say it's a bleeding disorder but nothing they try seems to do any good. Some days she's fine, others she can't even get out of bed, like today."

"How long has this been going on?" Katara asked, her voice and eyes full of compassion.

"About two weeks," Zuko replied. "At least, two weeks since she admitted she was having problems."

As he spoke Katara finally noticed the lines of strain in his face; he was worried sick, and she wasted no time in pointing out that he needed to keep his own strength up. "When was the last time you slept?" she chided him.

He rubbed his face wearily. "Not sure. A couple days, I guess."

"Then the first thing you need to do is get in bed and sleep for the next twelve hours," she told him in her best no-nonsense tone of voice. "No, don't argue," she added as he opened his mouth to protest. "Trust me, Zuko, you're going to be no good to Mai or anyone else if you don't catch up on your sleep." She smiled to soften the sternness of her words. "Please. Aang and I are here, we'll do whatever we can to help."

Aang nodded eager agreement. "Whatever we can," he echoed Katara. "You know Appa is faster than even those war machines your father built; if Katara or the healers need anything, I'll be able to go and get it back quickly. I'll just send a messenger hawk to the North Pole, if you don't mind," he added with a quick frown. "We're supposed to be there next week, but it's nothing urgent."

"Don't tell them why you're staying," Zuko ordered sharply. "No one knows about the extent of Mai's illness except me, Ty Lee, the nurse, and the healers. And now you two," he added. "I want to keep it that way. Right now the rumors are that she's pregnant and having some difficulties; if people knew how serious it was, there might be…problems."

He didn't specify what kind of problems could possibly arise from Mai's true condition being known, but Katara respected him enough to understand that it probably had something to do with the other woman being Fire Lady. Even in the Southern Pole Water Tribes people were intensely interested in knowing how their leaders fared; it must be even worse in a land with masses of people living in close proximity to one another.

All she did was nod her agreement, as did Aang; only then did Zuko concede that an early night might be a good idea and let them go find their rooms.

Shortly after unpacking and freshening up, Katara heard a knock on her door. She opened it up to find Aang waiting for her, fidgeting a bit. In spite of the fact that they traveled together alone and slept side-by-side on the ground some nights, any time they were in civilization he seemed to feel weird about seeing her in her bedroom.

Well, he was young yet; Katara knew she just had to be patient. Sooner or later he'd be ready for more than kissing, and when he was, she'd decide if they had to wait for their wedding night or not.

That thought brought a blush to her cheek; she stepped into the hall and hastily shut the door behind her. "I'm starving, how about you?"

"That's what I came to tell you, that Zuko arranged a dinner for us with the Fire Sages and council members." He rolled his eyes, appearing not to notice Katara's flushed cheeks. "And I get to make the diplomatic explanation as to why the Fire Lord isn't joining us."

"Aang, you know he needs his sleep," Katara started to protest, but he stopped her with a smile.

"I wasn't saying that, just complaining cause I have to give another speech. I'm really getting sick of giving them; do you think people are getting sick of hearing them?"

Katara laughed and tucked her arm through his. "Nope, sorry. They spent the last hundred years without an Avatar; it's going to take a lot longer than one year for them to get sick of you."

He stuck his tongue out at her, the immediately sobered as they walked down the hall. "Do you think you'll be able to do anything, to help Mai, I mean?" he asked in a hushed voice.

After glancing around and seeing no one, Katara gave him the only answer she could. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I hope so. I've never tried anything like this before; I'm not even sure what to do."

"You'll be great, you always are," Aang rushed to assure her. "You've always been there to take care of us, and you've always come through when we need you."

_Great_, was Katara's first, sour thought. _He thinks of me like his_ mother_?_ Then she shook off the momentary melancholy. Of course Aang didn't think of her like his mother, he was just trying to make her feel better, bolster her confidence in her abilities.

"Let's just get to this dinner and get it over with," she sighed. In the morning she'd see what she could do for Mai, if anything.

**Zuko**

Even though he'd promised Katara he'd get some sleep, it was hours before he actually managed to get his troubled thoughts under control once he crawled into his solitary bed. The bed in a room that he hadn't occupied since before his wedding night, the Fire Lord's private chambers. He and Mai usually shared the Fire Lady's chambers and bed, but with his own restlessness and her illness, he hadn't wanted to disturb her.

Not that she was alone; there was a nurse with her at all times, when Ty Lee wasn't staying with her. She'd left the Kyoshi Island Warriors after only a few months in their company, claiming she missed home and her other friends too much to stay so far away. Since she and Mai had been as close as sisters for a long time, he could totally understand her reasons and had even given her an official palace function so she didn't feel like she was just leeching off of them.

Her words, not his; she was welcome to stay as long as she wanted as a guest and almost-family member, but he got that she needed to feel useful. So she was his and Mai's Social Coordinator, in charge of all parties and functions not presided over by the Protocol Minister, under whom she worked. Luckily the two of them hit it off; Li Shon could be pretty stuffy, but he'd taken to Ty Lee as if she were his own long-lost daughter and had no problem handing off many of his duties to her when it was obvious she had a gift for party planning none of them had suspected.

Thinking of Ty Lee brought a brief smile to his face. She'd worked just as tirelessly to try and cheer Mai up as she ever had at pulling together a dinner party or birthday celebration. She was a good friend to his wife and he was grateful for her presence during this trying time.

If only Azula hadn't been both evil and crazy, she might have been able to help Mai as well. Oh well, might as well wish for the moon as wish for his sister's sanity and the milk of human kindness from her. She'd been ruined at far too young an age, after their father twisted her into his own image.

Twisted Azula, and done his level best to twist him as well. And he'd almost succeeded; Zuko had been so driven by the need to earn his father's love, to regain what he thought was his lost honor, that he'd almost killed the Avatar and destroyed any hope for a peaceful future in his lifetime. How could he have been so foolish?

He wished Mai were well enough to tell him, as she had countless times since their betrothal and marriage, to quit wasting his time brooding about the past. "There's plenty of stuff going on now you have to worry about," would have been her practical advice.

Katara would agree, if she knew what he was thinking about right now. "Concentrate on the future, Zuko. You helped bring an end to the war; now you need to focus on peace."

He sighed, tossing over onto his stomach as sleep continued to elude him. Both women would agree that he needed to stop torturing himself with worry about Mai's mysterious condition as well, but how could he? That was part of the present, not the past, the present he had to deal with, and he was terrified Mai would die if they couldn't find a cure, and soon. How could he hold onto hope, as Katara would no doubt advise, under these circumstances?

Such thoughts troubled him well into the night, but when he finally drifted into sleep, his dreams were surprisingly uplifting in nature, not filled with nightmares the way they had been for the last week. Katara figured prominently in those dreams, whispering words of hope and encouragement to him, promising that everything would get better soon, and he awoke in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, filled with a lightness and optimism he hadn't felt in weeks.

After washing up and dressing himself, he hurried to his wife's adjoining chamber to check on her. The nurse on duty nodded in greeting before rising to her feet and heading to her own room; once Zuko made an appearance, she was allowed to get some rest for a few hours, knowing that the Fire Lord had rearranged his schedule so that his morning remained free until his wife recovered.

Mai was still sleeping, and according to the nurse's notes, she'd spent a peaceful night for a change, with no excessive bleeding. Good. The transfusions the healers were giving Mai were helping, but for a while she seemed to be losing as much as she was receiving. Any change for the better was a glimpse of hope, and it further buoyed his mood.

He took the chair the nurse had abandoned, just watching Mai as she slept, oblivious to the morning sun and his presence by her side. She seemed to have better color, too, and he held fast to that as another hopeful sign.

A few minutes after he took his seat, Mai stirred and opened her eyes, smiling her slight smile at the sight of her husband watching over her. "How long have you been there?" she asked. And yes, her voice definitely sounded stronger. Good.

He smiled back at her. "Just a few minutes. I didn't want to wake you; if you're still tired, go back to sleep."

She stretched and rolled over onto her side, tucking a hand under her cheek as she continued to look up at him. "No, I'm good. I think I could use some juice, if you don't mind." She nodded at the small table that stood by her bedside and the pitcher of orange-grape juice it contained. He poured her a glass and helped her to drink it; when she drained the glass he couldn't help the broad smile that spread across his face. Usually she only managed a few small sips at a time; surely this was even more encouraging news. He'd be sure to point it out to the Chief Healer, who was due to visit his wife soon.

They chatted quietly for the next twenty minutes, until a discreet knock at the door alerted them to visitors. It opened right after, revealing not only the Chief Healer but also Katara and Aang, who trailed along behind them with an uncertain expression on his face. Zuko rose to his feet as the three visitors entered the room, enthusiastically telling the Healer about his wife's better color and how well she'd slept and that she'd drunk all her juice in one go. He handed the older man the nurse's report, reminded him that Katara was to be allowed to examine Mai once his own examination was over, then ushered Aang out of the room ahead of him, closing the door firmly shut once they were in the small antechamber onto which both royal bedchambers opened.

"Did you eat yet?"

Aang shook his head, and Zuko slung an arm over his shoulder in a way he'd never have attempted a year ago, a gesture he'd seen Sokka employ many times when he wanted to convey a sense of camaraderie and friendship. "Let's go see what Chef has come up with to encourage our appetites, shall we?"

He kept up a stream of light chatter all the way to the small private dining room he and Mai regularly used when not hosting guests or official brunches, determined to keep the conversation on inconsequentials in order to keep himself from fretting over his wife's condition.

Thankfully Aang seemed to get it, joining in on the conversation with tales of his and Katara's recent travels, along with an entertaining report on the dinner he'd hosted in Zuko's absence the evening before that had them both convulsed with laughter by the time he finished.

It was a welcome distraction, but like all distractions, it could only last for so long. Once they'd both eaten their fill, they headed by mutual and unspoken agreement back to the royal bedchambers to see if Katara and the Chief Healer were finished with their examinations.

The news, as Zuko had hoped, was optimistic. Cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nonetheless. He'd take it. Mai was, indeed, stronger this morning, with a good appetite and no signs of continued bleeding. However, the Chief Healer was quick to caution them, that didn't mean it couldn't start up again as abruptly as it had in the past. "Only time will tell," had been his final counsel before leaving the four young people alone.

Katara voiced her agreement with the older man after they were alone. "I'd still like to stay and see how things go during the full moon, if that's okay with you, Mai."

The Fire Lady, who was sitting up in bed with a pile of pillows behind her, nodded. "Of course. Even if I'm getting better, we still don't know what caused this in the first place."

"At least we know it isn't some kind of poison," Zuko said, covering his wife's hand with his own.

That had been the first thing they checked out, to see if someone was trying to kill his wife, for whatever reason, be it personal enmity or to get at the Fire Lord in a roundabout manner. But none of the herbalists, alchemists, doctors, healers, midwives or quack physicians he grilled knew of anything that could do such a thing. She had no accompanying stomach discomfort or cramps, no fever or problems breathing or eye irritations or outbreaks on her skin, no coughing or sneezing, nothing that pointed to poison. Zuko had only investigated the possibility out of desperation once it became clear her condition was worsening.

"That does make it easier to deal with," Katara agreed. She nudged Aang with her elbow and smiled brightly at the other two. "Well! I think I'm ready for some breakfast now! We'll leave you two alone to get some more rest or whatever, right Aang?"

"I already ate," he started to protest, then saw the look Katara was giving him, the "don't-you-get-it-dummy" look he hated so much but was resigned to since there really were an awful lot of things, especially when it came to relationships, that he definitely still didn't get. "But I guess I could keep you company," he finished, earning a grateful smile from Katara and thanks from the Fire Lord and Lady.

**oOo**

The news remained good during the rest of the week as they waited for the moon to reach peak fullness. Once it did, Katara studied Mai's entire circulatory system as intently as she'd ever done anything in her life. She examined Mai from head to toe and back again, focusing on how the blood "felt" as it flowed through the other woman's veins and capillaries and arteries, how it was pumped through her heart, and making especially sure to look for any signs that she was bleeding internally.

"Nothing," she pronounced at the end of an hour, during which Zuko had sat, silent and tense, in one corner of the room. He'd insisted on being present, not because he didn't trust Katara, but because he needed to know as soon as she and Mai did if she found anything. Aang was waiting in Zuko's chambers with Ty Lee, the nurse and the Chief Healer for company, all of them wanting to know the results as soon as possible but none of them wanting to get in Katara's way.

Katara's grin was radiant as she continued speaking. "No signs of internal bleeding, everything is flowing correctly, I think the worst is over!"

Zuko hurried to his wife's side and took her in a long, loving embrace, while Katara silently slipped out of the room, both to deliver the good news to Aang and to give them a moment in which to celebrate in private.

Two days later, when the moon had begun to wane and Katara's ability to Bloodbend with it, she and Aang were on their way to the North Pole and their interrupted journey. Zuko and Mai were both present to wave them goodbye as they mounted Appa, none of them having the slightest inkling of the tragedy that awaited them in the future.

* * *

_A/N: Onward I trudge in spite of the resounding lack of interest this story has generated so far! :) Ah, but I have a secret weapon...once "One Door Closes" is posted, maybe people will go back and give this a look. If by chance anyone reads this chapter, please leave a tiny little word in the review panel so I know you exist! I will reward you with a personal drabble, tailored to your specs! You can't ask for more than that!_


	3. Joy Delights

**Three Months Later**

**Katara**

"I hate these stupid celebrations," Sokka grumbled as he yanked at his collar. "Why do we have to get all dressed up for them, anyway? I thought this was supposed to be a private party, just the ni—eight of us."

His face grew even more sour as he corrected himself. Katara could certainly sympathize; Suki was supposed to be there with them for Zuko's birthday, but she and Sokka were in the middle of a huge fight over something her brother refused to share with any of them and had thus remained on Kyoshi Island. She'd sent along a very diplomatic letter to Zuko explaining that her obligations as leader of the Kyoshi Island Warriors prevented her from joining them, but it was an open secret, at least among Katara, Toph and Aang, that it was really because of her fight with Sokka.

"It's an important day for Zuko," she reminded her brother as she pulled his fingers away from his collar and shoved his hand down to his side. She fussed with the disarrayed fastenings while she spoke. "Even though we get to party with him in private later, first we have to do all the official state stuff. You know that."

He sighed. Loudly. And rolled his eyes. Katara kept her own sigh internal, knowing that her brother was upset about the fight with Suki—whatever it was about this time—and would manage to get back into a celebratory spirit once their small group was allowed to leave for their private party at the palace.

Zuko had been complaining just as much, but only because he thought it was a dumb idea to have a birthday celebration—a big, huge, over-the-top celebration at that—when there was still so much work to do in restoring the damage done by his father and the war. Mai, of all people—silent, composed, unexcitable Mai—had been the one to insist, with Katara and Aang happily backing her up once she explained her position to them in a letter.

"_Zuko doesn't get it,"_ the letter had read in part. _"The people need something to look forward to, and I need a distraction now that I'm well enough to deal with something like this. Ty Lee will do a great job, we'll invite all the nations' leaders, and give people something to think about besides war reparations and rebuilding and treaties. I've tried to tell my boneheaded husband this, but he seems to listen to you two, so I'm enlisting your help in convincing him it's the right thing to do."_

Katara had agreed wholeheartedly, as did Aang, Sokka and Toph once she explained it to them. They didn't see Toph nearly as often as they would have like, and she was eager to join them for a reunion no matter what the reason. But when she had her scribe append a succinct message to the one Katara and Aang sent to Zuko, he'd finally caved.

The message had read simply: "You know Sugar Queen won't shut up until you give in so you may as well get it over with. Catch you later. Toph."

And now they were all assembled: Zuko, Mai, Toph, Sokka, Ty Lee, Lord Iroh and herself. Only Suki was missing and that was a shame, but it couldn't be helped. The rest of them would miss her, sure, but today was a day to celebrate and Katara was determined that nothing was going to spoil it.

**oOo**

**Sokka**

Stupid party. Stupid Fire Nation. Stupid, stupid, stupid happy couples all over the place. Even Toph was flirting with some nobleman's son she'd just met, and Iroh was making goo-goo eyes at an old flame (Hah! Old flame for the Firebender! Even depressed he could make a funny!) he'd met up with by chance earlier in the day.

Everywhere he looked, someone was dancing with someone. Of course, since they were at a dance, in a dancehall or ballroom or whatever the Fire Nation called it, he was bound to see people dancing. Dancing had been pretty much banned during Sokin and Ozai's rules, but Zuko had brought it back and now there was nothing but a sea of happy couples with their arms around each other, smiling their stupid smiles into each other's stupid faces, his sister and Aang being chief among the offenders, since they insisted on dancing right in front of him.

Why had he agreed to come after he and Suki had that stupid fight? He should have followed his first instinct and chased after her. But then, she probably would have just sent him packing, she was that mad at him.

He squinted into the distance as he tried to remember what, exactly, he'd said this time to piss her off. The last time they'd had such a huge blow-out had been right after Zuko's wedding. She'd made some comment about "when we get married" and he'd been so startled he blurted out the worst possible thing he could have said: "What do you mean 'when'?"

Yeah, that hadn't been one of his finest moments. They'd made up when he blamed the alcohol, promised her he hadn't meant it like it sounded, and basically proposed to her on the spot—which she'd turned down "until you ask me and really mean it". But she'd forgiven him, and when he actually was ready to propose a few weeks later, she'd happily accepted.

Now, of course, she'd declared the wedding off, and all because he couldn't keep his stupid thoughts inside his stupid head, instead just letting them pour out of his mouth when he should be keeping that hole in his face firmly shut. Why oh why had he been dumb enough to basically order her to leave the Kyoshi Island Warriors once they were married and move to the South Pole to be his wife and keep house and raise babies? Yeah, that had to have been it; he'd just assumed she'd go along with what he expected to happen after they got married, and she'd gone all quiet and slipped off to her room "for some time alone," and he hadn't recognized those words as code for "Warning! Danger! Go Apologize, Dummy!"

Well, he got it now. When he'd gone to get her for dinner, she'd been all packed and ready to leave on the next ship out of the South Pole, screaming at him before she left that if he didn't know why she was mad, then she wasn't going to tell him. And that she wouldn't marry him if he was the last man in the world. And that even if he were, the guy who'd died before him would _still_ be the last man in the world, which had confused him until he puzzled out the insult after she'd left, then fumed about it for almost a week.

That was what had stopped him from going after her. That, and not realizing what exactly he'd done or said to set her off in the first place; how could he try and make things up with her when he hadn't the faintest clue what he'd done that was so bad? And was it really so bad? Well, yeah, he concluded, it was really so bad. He had to stop shooting his mouth off without thinking things through. How could someone be so good at strategy and tactics be so horribly bad at managing personal relationship?

"Hey, stop spoiling the mood, Snoozles!"

The voice came from behind him, but even if he hadn't recognized it he knew who it was just by the nickname that he hated so much. "Geez, Toph, I thought you were off dancing with that Fire Nation lordling," he replied without bothering to turn around. Or wiping the grouch off his face as Toph was currently advising in her loud, don't-give-a-damn-who's-listening voice.

"He was boring," she replied with an airy wave of her hand as she stepped to his side. "And I was thirsty. Plus I could feel you grumping from across the room. What's up, still upset about your fight with Fan Girl?"

"Her name's Suki," he replied through gritted teeth. "For once, Toph, can't you just call us by our real names?"

She tilted her head to once side and tapped her chin with her finger as if considering the idea, then shook her head. "Nah. That's less fun." Then she tilted her head again, this time in a listening posture, and a wide grin spread across her face. "Well, well, guess who decided to show up after all."

Before Sokka could ask her what she was talking about, tall, dark and Fire Nation-y reappeared, drink in hand, and swept Toph off to one of the small tables littering the edges of the dance floor. Sokka looked around to see if he could figure it out on his own, then froze when he saw Suki standing quietly next to him at the bar.

They stood that way for what felt like a long, long, long, superlong time, at least to Sokka, frozen with his glass half-way to his lips and his eyes bugging out, leaning on one elbow that started to cramp, as did his fingers. He still couldn't move, even when he felt the glass slipping from his fingers.

Suki, whose eyes had never left his, reached out and plucked said glass from his fingers, placing it gently on the bar. "You're here," Sokka finally found the voice to say.

Suki offered a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I'm here," she agreed. "Got any other earthshattering revelations to share with the class?"

"B-but, you left, you were pissed at me—and I deserved it," he added hurriedly, anxious to get that part out of the way. "I made a stupid, macho assumption…"

"Yeah, you did, but I totally overreacted," Suki replied. Still grinning, she reached up and gently lowered Sokka's hand, which was still hanging in the air, down to rest on the bar, leaving her own hand on top of it. "I finally realized that what we needed to do was just sit down and talk about things instead of each assuming the other was on the same page. That's where we keep screwing up." She leaned in and kissed him. "I'd really like to stop fighting about stuff like this."

"Me too," Sokka agreed softly, then took her in his arms for a longer, more satisfying kiss. "Hey," he said when the kiss ended, his voice husky with desire, "how about you give me a chance to show you exactly how sorry I am—up in my room?"

Before Suki could do more than offer a slow smile in response, a loud gong sounded, interrupting the sounds of celebration. A ripple of silence fell across the room as Ty Lee skipped up to the raised stage at the end of the room where the musicians were seated. "Okay, everyone!" she sang out, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Time for the birthday boy to make his speech!"

Enthusiastic applause broke out, reluctant on Sokka's part since it interrupted what was shaping up to be a really great reunion with Suki. He listened with half an ear as Zuko took Ty Lee's place and launched into what sounded like the standard hey-it's-great-to-see-you-all-here speech. Katara and Aang, who'd danced to a stop literally in front of the other two, appeared to be listening attentively. They joined in with the applause when the speech ended, but if Sokka thought Katara wasn't aware of what was going on behind her—namely, her brother and his fiancée sneaking kisses while Zuko droned on—that illusion was shattered when she reached out and snagged his wrist firmly before the two of them could sneak away.

"Oh no, you two have to wait till after the private party starts before you sneak off," she said, her voice as firm as her grip as she finally turned to face them. "Hi, Suki, glad you guys made up and all, but honestly, can't you two wait a couple of hours? Sheesh!"

The casual way she spoke, along with her raised eyebrows, made it clear that she wasn't just talking about the two of the finding a quiet corner in which to make out, but judging by Aang's blank expression, he had no idea what his girlfriend was talking about. _I really gotta take him aside and see what exactly he knows about the cat-birds and the butterfly-bees,_ Sokka thought, even as he protested his sister's high-handedness. He cut his words short, however, when Zuko joined them.

"Hey, Suki, glad you were able to make it," the Fire Lord said, showing no sign that he knew why she'd been late to the party. "Uncle Iroh and the others are waiting for us upstairs, I just have to find Mai and we can leave the rest of this crowd to suck down all my food and alcohol."

Katara nudged him in the side. "Way to be diplomatic, Zuko! These are important guests, not some ravaging hoard of moochers!"

Zuko made a point of glancing around at the packed room, at the number of glasses being tilted back and plates of food being consumed, then looked back at Katara with a raised eyebrow. She blushed a bit, then grinned and jabbed him with her elbow again.

Sokka envied her easy relationship with Zuko. Although he and their former enemy had made their peace, they still weren't nearly as comfortable in each other's presence as they were with the rest of the gaang. Toph claimed it was because he'd never gone on a life-altering solo journey with Zuko, but Sokka had his doubts about her reasoning. When he tried pointing out that she hadn't, either, she'd blithely announced that she didn't need any kind of life-altering solo journey to figure out who her real friends were, and left him sputtering in annoyance as she flounced out of the room.

That had been a few visits ago, back when they were able to visit each other more often. Now, however, it seemed that duty pulled them in different directions more and more frequently. So really, he should appreciate the party instead of resenting the time spent in group company rather than in he-and-Suki company, but he was finding that argument hard to believe when all he wanted to do was take the woman he loved in his arms and sweep her off her feet. Figuratively, of course; he suspected that if he ever tried something like that she'd deck him. Or maybe not, judging by the way her fingers were surreptitiously stroking his behind their backs.

Sokka cleared his throat loudly. "Right, so, off to the private party, got it. Lead on, Sparky."

Zuko shot him an annoyed look—he hated the nickname Toph had given him upon joining their group, but Sokka only pointed out that Prince Hothead was worse and used Sparky every chance he got. Just to get in a little dig now and then, no matter how much it pissed off his sister. Or maybe because it did piss her off so much, whatever.

"I have to find Mai," Zuko muttered, scanning the room. "You know where it is, Katara, I'll be there as soon as I find my missing wife."

Sokka felt a sudden chill go over him at those words, as if they held more significance that they seemed to on the face of it, then shook it off. Mai wasn't sick any more, and there was so much security at this shindig that even the best hidden assassin in the world couldn't find their way into the palace.

Katara started herding them out of the room while Zuko waded off into the crowd to search for his errant wife, who was probably sitting in a corner somewhere with a sardonic grin on her lips, watching others getting totally wasted and doing foolish things she could use against them sometime in the future. Not that she was really mean about it, but Sokka had been on the receiving end of her carefully placed verbal barbs more than once and had no desire to find himself there again. So he hurried after his sister, dragging a giggling Suki by one hand and determined not to be last in the smaller room where the private celebration would take place.

**Toph**

Everyone was having a great time, even Sokka now that Suki had deigned to show up and forgive him for the umpteenth time. Toph shook her head. What the two of them saw in each other, she'd never get; even though her crush on Snoozles had fizzled out years ago, she still thought he could do better, with someone a lot less moody than Fan Girl. Maybe super-chirpy Ty Lee, or some nice Southern Water Tribe girl who wouldn't care where they lived as long as they were together.

Whatever. It was none of her business. And it wasn't as if she didn't like Suki, cause she did, it was just that she didn't know if the two of them were "happily ever after" material.

Like some others she could mention, but wouldn't, not even in her own mind, although her senses strained to make out Katara and Aang among the smaller group that had entered Zuko and Mai's private sitting room. Now _that_ was a couple that seemed to work; Sparky was hot-headed and Needles was so calm she was almost dead, inside and out. Just what the Fire Nation needed, a balanced set of rulers to keep things under control.

She smirked to herself as she thought about the happy couple, and how Mai was probably going to make Zuko even happier tonight. If, that is, she ever joined them and made the announcement Toph already knew was impending. Heightened senses were totally awesome, at least most of the time. Sometimes it didn't pay to have really good ears when the couple in the tent across the clearing was making love, no matter how quiet they had tried to be about it back in the day (_*cough*SokkandSuki*cough*), _she thought smugly.

Ah, there were Katara and Aang, sitting quietly, feet on the ground so Toph could sense them. And now Lord Iroh was approaching them, interrupting their together-time with a loud, semi-drunken greeting. Good. Sugar Queen just didn't get it, but she would, one day, and it would be a rude awakening. Or maybe not; maybe Aang just wasn't ready for the real boy-girl stuff his girlfriend kept pushing for in her sweet-as-pie-but-I-always-get-my-way, um, way. Not that she disliked Katara; she counted the Waterbender as one of her closest friends, the way she counted everybody in this room as one. It was just that she could really be too much sometimes.

The door opened, and Zuko came in; Toph recognized his stride instantly, and could tell by his heartbeat that he was upset about something. She turned alertly, sensing that everyone in the room was looking his way. That was confirmed when she heard Katara pipe up: "Zuko? Is something wrong?"

"Mai left the party an hour ago," he replied, hesitating a second as if not sure he should tell them what he was about to tell them. "Someone saw her leave with the Chief Healer."

Silence fell over the room, and Toph's own heartbeat increased as she considered the implications. It could be something innocent, something to do with the secret she knew Mai was harboring, but then again, it could be the return of the bleeding sickness.

Before Toph could blurt out what she knew to try and reassure Sparky, the door opened again, slammed open with a great deal of force, enough to make her wince. There was a collective gasp of surprise, then silence as whoever it was hurried over to Sparky's side. When she stopped to whisper something in his ear, Toph realized who it was and what she was saying, and a wide grin spread across her face. "About time," she whispered to herself just as Zuko let out a joyous whoop and started spinning around in circles.

Since she no longer sensed Mai's feet on the floor, Toph assumed she was being spun as well, which might not be the best idea under the circumstances, but then the spinning stopped and Mai spoke, her voice as joyful as Toph had ever heard it from Princess Monotone. "I'm pregnant! The Chief Healer says there's no sign of the bleeding sickness, and I'm pregnant!"

That last was spoken in a virtual shout, and for the first time ever, Toph listened open-mouthed as Mai laughed. Actually laughed, full-on, loud and joyful, laughter. "Whoa, never thought I'd see that!" she heard Sokka mutter. She figured everyone else was standing around as stunned as she was, but as if Sokka's words were a magic spell, suddenly everyone was crowding around Mai and Zuko, offering their shouted congratulations and laughter, making the room sound as if it held twice as many people.

For once, Toph didn't mind the excess noise. She was just as happy as everyone else, just as noisy, punching her fist in the air, being swung around in a hug by first Sokka, then Zuko, then Aang, then Sokka again, then Iroh, until she felt dizzy and hot and firmly resisted any other attempts to get her feet off the floor.

They celebrated long into the night, Zuko finally entering wholeheartedly into the celebration now that it wasn't just about him. Names for the baby were bantered about, with the most popular (except, of course for the parents-to-be) being Maiko. Or Zumai. "What's wrong with combining names?" had been Sokka's argument when he offered up the second name after Mai's cool reception to the first. He really needed to watch how much alcohol he drank at these parties; it affected his judgement something awful. _I mean, really,_ Toph thought with a mental snort. _Zumai?_ Maiko?! _What was Snoozles_ thinking?

The entire gaang stayed on for an extra couple of days while Zuko made the official announcement that the nation could expect to be celebrating a birth in six more months. Then they reluctantly took their various leaves, Toph hitching a ride with Aang and Katara on Appa since they were headed to Ba Sing Se, and Suki and Sokka heading for Kyoshi Island together, their fighting forgotten for the moment. Iroh elected to stay in the palace until the birth, bursting with so much pride and joy you'd think he was the father-to-be, as Toph continuously teased him.

She was to remember those joyful moments when the painful ones tried to crowd them out, held onto them with a fierceness any of her friends would have recognized had they been allowed to see it, if she hadn't closed herself off from them for over a year. She chose to do her grieving in private, thank you very much. Besides, she had students who needed her and parents to drive crazy and a lot of thinking to do.

Especially about a certain bald-headed Avatar and his steadfast belief that he and Katara were destined to be together forever, which Toph knew, deep in her heart, was absolutely _not_ the case.

* * *

_A/N: Only one chapter to go after this one, most likely to be posted after Christmas since I am not quite finished with it and don't have a lot of spare time to tweak it. The sequel/main story, "One Door Opens", will start posting in January and will most likely be rated M rather than T. However, if anyone under 18 is willing to wait, I'll post a T version as well and make sure to label the M chapters clearly._


	4. Sweet Sorrow

**Warning: Character Death.**

* * *

**Six Months Later**

**Katara**

As Appa glided to a stop in the palace courtyard reserved exclusively for his visits, he gave a grunt of satisfaction. Aang leaned forward to pat him on the head. "Good job, buddy! Record time."

Katara sighed as she stood up and stretched. "Sometimes I feel like all we ever do is fly from one place to another," she grumbled, then slid down Appa's side, giving him an affection pat as she did so. "Not that I'm complaining, Appa," she reassured the flying buffalo. "You always do a great job no matter how far we're flying." He gave a contented groan and settled down to wait for Aang to remove his saddle.

At least this time the visit was personal, not professional, so to speak. Katara grinned and hugged herself; she could hardly wait to tell Mai and Zuko the news. Suki and Sokka had finally worked out their differences and were getting married in six months! How cool was that!

She stepped away from Appa while Aang busied himself with removing the oversized harness that held the equally oversized saddle in place. Humming happily to herself, she glanced around the empty courtyard, admiring the work they'd all put into it. The stream Katara had coaxed up through the rock garden Toph had created led directly to a shallow pool big enough for Appa to wallow in when he felt like cooling off. There was also a grassy area under some shade trees, but Appa's basket, usually filled with fresh fruit when their arrival was expected—as it was today—was empty.

That wasn't the only odd thing; as Aang floated to the flagstone-covered ground with their travel packs in either hand, Katara realized no one had come to greet them. Usually at this point Ty Lee or Zuko or Mai—or any combination of the three—was waiting for their arrival.

Not today. Katara felt her heart surging with hope; maybe no one was there to greet them because Mai was in the middle of giving birth! She clapped her hands, anticipating a lovely surprise to add to her burden of good news, whispering her hopes to Aang as they headed for staircase leading up to the palace entrance they always used.

When the two of them entered the palace proper, however, there was still no one to greet them, not even a guard or servant in sight. Recognizing that something must be wrong, they sped their steps and headed directly for the part of the palace that housed the Fire Lord and Lady's private chambers, each silently praying that the emptiness of the building wasn't for as bad a reason as they feared.

When they reached the long corridor that led to Zuko and Mai's rooms, they started to hear voices and other sounds; somewhere ahead and around a corner, a door was opened or closed; there was the sound of hurrying footsteps, and, most worrisome, what sounded like a muffled sob. Without needing to consult each other, they hurried in that direction.

"Please, La, please let it just be that Mai is having her baby," Katara chanted under her breath as they rounded the corner.

A scene of utter chaos greeted their dismayed eyes. People were rushing back and forth, speaking in hushed whispers or not at all, no one even noticing the two of them until Aang, after sharing a concerned glance with Katara, stepped deliberately into the path of a hurrying maidservant bearing a bundle of sheets in her arms. The girl squeaked in alarm as she skidded to a stop, the linens tumbling to the floor in a disordered heap. "Avatar Aang!" she cried out, then looked around wildly.

Spotting Katara standing near the door through which they'd just entered, the girl rushed to her side, grasping her wrist and tugging her along urgently. "Please, my lady, you have to come, you have to help, the healers can't seem to do anything…"

Katara spared a second to toss an order over her shoulder: "Find Zuko!" before allowing the girl to drag her along. The fact that one of the well-trained palace servants would dare to put her hands on a friend of the Fire Lord spoke volumes; that the healers couldn't help "her" pinpointed which of the royal couple was in trouble.

_Not the bleeding disorder,_ Katara prayed as she allowed herself to be hurried to the door leading to the Fire Lady's bedchamber. The girl tapped on it gently, then turned the handle and opened it, practically pushing Katara inside. "Please, help her," she begged again before closing the door shut.

Katara took an uncertain step forward, not sure if she should be intruding but not ready to simply turn and wait to be summoned in a more official manner. Then her steps stumbled to a halt as her horrified eyes took in the scene before her.

Mai lay on the bed, moaning feebly; the Chief Healer and a woman Katara assumed to be the midwife worked frantically between her legs, and the blood…Spirits, she'd never seen so much blood coming out of one person. The bedding was soaked with it; the floor puddled, the hands of the Chief Healer and midwife stained to the elbows with it. Katara rushed to Mai's side, thanking La, Agni, and any other guiding soul she could think of that it was the full moon, that her Bending might be able to do something to stop the continuing flowing—no, she moaned to herself, make that _gushing_—of blood from the Fire Lady's body.

The midwife looked up as she approached the bed, seemed about to bark an order for her to leave when the Chief Healer turned and saw what the other woman was looking at. "Master Katara, thank the Spirits! Can you—?" he gestured helplessly toward his barely-conscious patient.

Katara murmured a promise to do her best as the midwife moved aside to give her room. When she was in position, she raised her hands above Mai's midsection, working just as hard to slow the tide from the inside as the other two were doing on the outside. She moved on instinct, trying desperately to reverse the flow, just long enough for the baby to be born. After that there was so much more that could be done for Mai; if only she could hold on for just a little longer…

Mai's eyes fluttered opened, just for a moment, but in that moment she managed to focus on Katara's face, register her presence long enough to whisper: "Save him." Then consciousness became too much for her waning strength, her eyes closed, and her breathing slowed even further.

"We're losing her," was the Chief Healer's grim pronouncement.

"How close is the baby to being born?" Katara asked with equal grimness. Mai had tasked her, and she would die herself before giving up.

"I see the head," the midwife reported, her voice steady in spite of the stress wearing upon them all. Somewhere outside the birthing chamber, Zuko was probably frantically pacing back and forth, hopefully with Ty Lee and Aang now at his side. He would be grief-stricken at the loss of his wife, but if both mother and child died it would destroy him.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the door to the bedchamber flew open and Zuko entered the room at a dead run. Like Katara, he stumbled to a stop, eyes wide with horror as he saw the amount of blood his wife had lost in the process of trying to give birth to their child. He said nothing, simply continued his forward movement after taking a deep, steadying breath. He reached to take Mai's hand in his from across the bed, sitting opposite the others and ignoring the stained bedding beneath him. "I love you," he whispered, and Katara felt her heart breaking as she realized he was saying his good-byes.

That it was too late to save the Fire Lady.

Their child, however, was a different matter. Katara continued her grim work even as the midwife finally coaxed the baby from his mother's womb and the Chief Healer practically sliced his own finger in cutting the umbilical cord, so frantic was he to separate mother and child.

"It's a boy," Katara heard the midwife pronounce, but was too busy trying to save his mother to look over.

"It's a boy," Zuko repeated softly, reaching up to stroke Mai's sweat-drenched forehead with his free hand. "We'll call him Lu Ten, just like we planned. I bet you can't wait to hold him…"

The newborn offered up a healthy wail, as if in protest of his new name. Or perhaps in protest at the loss of his mother, although Katara stubbornly kept her hands moving, determined to continue to help the Chief Healer as best she could. _Come on, Mai, you're strong, you have a husband who loves you and a child who needs you, come on, you can do this, just hold on a little longer…_

A gentle hand on her shoulder stilled the Waterbender's frantic motions. "I'm sorry," the Chief Healer said, as much to her as to the Fire Lord. "She's gone."

With a stifled sob, Katara turned away, stumbling from the room as Zuko lifted his wife's body into his arms and cradled it. She heard his own cries of grief as she opened the door, cut off as soon as it was closed. She leaned against the sturdy wooden barrier, then slid to the floor, her face in her hands as she allowed her own tears to fall.

**Aang**

Aang found her that way a few minutes later. He was more than a bit taken aback by the sight of her so openly weeping, covered in blood he knew wasn't hers but the sight of which made his heart lurch. "Katara?" he said softly as he crouched down next to her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder.

She pulled away, just a little, shaking her head and lifting her tear-streaked face from her hands. "Don't, I'm all bloody, I need to clean up, people can't see me wandering around like this…"

_She's in shock,_ was Aang's immediate diagnosis. He'd seen it more than once since being thawed from the ice three years ago. What she needed was something hot and sugary; the room he'd just left had a tea urn manned by Zuko's Uncle Iroh and Ty Lee as well as a private bathing chamber. He said as much to Katara before gently helping her to her feet.

"Mai's dead," she said dully.

Aang simply nodded; he'd figured that much. Head bowed in grief, he escorted Katara down the empty corridor.

Mai had started out an enemy and turned into a friend, and he knew Zuko must be absolutely destroyed. Especially since this stupid bleeding disease or whatever it was called had supposedly been cured.

And what about the baby? He was afraid to ask, but if he didn't, then Ty Lee probably would since diplomacy wasn't exactly her strong point. As he led Katara along, he finally worked up the courage. "Katara? Is the baby…"

He hesitated, unable to finish the thought, but she answered him in a dull voice. "He's fine. It's a boy. Mai lived long enough for him to be born. Thank the Spirits for that; otherwise, I really think this would kill Zuko, too."

A fresh spate of tears shook her shoulders; Aang longed to give her a comforting hug but knew she would just push him away; because of the shock, she was fixated on the blood on her arms and clothing and even, he noted, the ends of her hair, where she must have been leaning over Mai as she tried to Bloodbend her back to health.

So all he did was squeeze her hand comfortingly. When they reached the entrance to the chamber where Ty Lee and Iroh waited, he hesitated, then turned to Katara. "Maybe I should…"

"No." She shook her head, seeming more alert, her eyes red-rimmed but the tears temporarily in abeyance. She straightened her shoulders. "They have to know."

Aang dared to put a restraining hand on her shoulder. She flinched away, then looked down at herself. She raised shaking hands to her cheeks. "They can't see me looking like this!"

"Let me go in first," Aang said, and this time she nodded and stepped back.

He opened the door just enough to slip through, thankful that the corridor they'd just traversed was private; no one would stumble across Katara waiting outside the door and be alerted by the state of her bloody clothing to the tragedy that had just occurred. That announcement needed to come from the Fire Lord and not via rumor.

As he entered the room, Iroh hurried to greet him. He'd offered to go check on things after Zuko left, to be there as a helping hand in case he was still denied entry to his wife's chambers as he had been once she went into labor. That was, of course, per Fire Nation custom, which seemed kind of weird to Aang; his own people had always welcomed the father and anyone else the mother wanted to be present at a birth, and he knew Water Tribe customs were similar.

And he also knew he was allowing himself to be distracted because he didn't want to destroy the hope he saw in Iroh's face. "Where's Ty Lee?" he asked once he realized the cheerful girl was no longer in the room.

"She said she needed some air," Iroh replied, his voice grave. "She went to the gardens for a moment." He hesitated, gazing searchingly at Aang's solemn face, and his own features seemed to crumple as he asked in a near-whisper: "Mai?"

Aang shook his head, then repeated the one piece of good news, that the baby was a boy and alive. Iroh simply nodded, then turned and headed for the room's other exit. "I will tell Ty Lee," he said, then he was gone and Aang could open the door through which he'd just entered and bring Katara into the now-empty room.

She immediately moved to the bathing chamber door, closing it softly behind her while Aang sank onto one of the low couches and blew out a heavy sigh. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes rested his forearm across his brow. "Worst trip to the Fire Nation ever," he groaned. And yes, he told himself, including every time they tried to invade and failed and when he fought Lord Ozai and nearly died himself. He'd rather relive that day over again than go through what Zuko was going through.

Or Katara. She looked so…drained. Almost dead herself. He couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been to try so hard to save a life and then fail—he cut that thought short. Of course she hadn't failed, it wasn't her fault Mai was dead, why had he even allowed himself to think that? He'd have to be careful how he offered any sympathy to Katara or she'd probably bite his head off. She probably did feel guilty, that it was her fault, when it was the illness that had robbed Mai of her life.

He shuddered, remembering how much blood Katara had been covered in. Almost too much to comprehend. "I wonder how long it'll take her to get over this," he muttered to himself as he jumped to his feet, suddenly needing to move, to do something. Maybe go see Zuko?

No, bad idea, he counseled himself. Later, when he had time to adjust to the fact that his wife was dead and that he was now a single parent with a newborn son to raise.

As these and other thoughts ran through his mind, it took Aang a moment to realize the door had opened again. Thinking it must be Iroh or Ty Lee, he turned to offer a sober-faced greeting, only to feel his jaw drop in surprise when he saw Zuko standing there.

"Zuko!" He hurried over and ushered the Fire Lord into the room, doing his best to arrange his features back into an expression of guarded sympathy. "Are you all right?"

He could have smacked himself for asking such a stupid question, but Zuko didn't seem to hear it, just continued walking into the room, stopping next to the low sofa but not taking a seat. He stood there for a long minute, just staring into the middle distance before finally speaking. "The funeral will be in four days. Can you and Katara stay that long?"

His voice was completely devoid of emotion, as if he were talking about something inconsequential. _Shock_, Aang concluded. _Better tread carefully_. "Of course," he replied. "We'll stay as long as you need—as long as you want us to," he corrected himself. The Fire Lord wasn't supposed to need anyone. He hesitated before asking the next question. "Are you—are you sure you want to, well, do this so soon? Shouldn't you give yourself a little time…"

His voice trailed off as Zuko turned to look at him, eyes blank, face stony. "Mai was Fire Lady. She will be given a state funeral the prescribed four days after her death as is her due." With that pronouncement, he turned and headed for the door, hesitating a moment after opening it, standing with his back to the room. "Please tell Katara I appreciate everything she did to try and help," he said in a low voice. Then he was gone, the door whispering shut behind him, leaving Aang to try and process what had just happened.

A funeral for Mai. In four days. Wow. They didn't waste any time in the Fire Nation. He only hoped Katara would be up for the ceremonies such an important event would no doubt consist of.

Heck, he only hoped _he_ would be up for them.

**Four Days Later**

**Katara**

The funeral was about to start. Well, the procession anyway. She'd tried her best to get Zuko to put it off for another week so King Kuei and other foreign notables could join them, but he'd insisted that tradition demanded a funeral four days after the Fire Lady's death and so here they were, standing on a balcony overlooking the courtyard where a gigantic crowd of Fire Nation mourners were gathered.

She still couldn't quite grasp the fact that Mai was gone, although she'd been there to witness her death. Thank the Spirits that their son was healthy and thriving in spite of the difficulties surrounding his birth.

She snorted quietly to herself. "Difficulties" was the understatement of the century. But little Lu Ten, named in honor of Lord Iroh's long-dead son, was already showing the same type of tenacity and determination that his father always had. Again, thank the Spirits for that, and for the young mother they'd found to nurse him alongside her own baby.

Of course, things would be a lot better for the infant if his father would visit him once in a while. It was as if Zuko blamed Lu Ten for his mother's death, although he vehemently denied it the one time Katara had brought it up.

"I'm just busy right now," he'd practically shouted at her, then apologized for losing his temper. "Look," he'd added in a softer tone, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I promise. Once the funeral and ceremonies are complete, I'll go see him. Right now it's just…I just have a lot to do."

Katara had swallowed her objections and allowed herself to pretend to believe him, mostly because she knew Zuko was practically drowning in his own sea of guilt.

Just as she was. Just as she knew she always would be.

She started as she felt a hand on her shoulder and half-turned to see who it was. Aang, of course, trying to comfort her with his silent presence, just as he'd been trying for the past four days. Of course, he'd only gone the "silent and supportive" route after he realized she absolutely refused to let him talk her out of her blaming herself for Mai's death. She just didn't want to hear one more person tell her she'd done all she could and that it wasn't her fault.

She knew better. If she'd been a better Bender, if she'd practiced her Bloodbending more, she could have saved Mai. She was convinced of that, and no matter how hard Aang or anyone else tried to convince her it wasn't doing her any good to blame herself, she couldn't stop.

She managed a wan smile for Aang as her thoughts continued to churn and her insides continued to mirror the anger and guilt by doing the same. She'd barely eaten in the last four days; none of them had, to be honest, and she found herself wishing Sokka and Gran-Gran and her father were there for her to lean on. No doubt they'd all tell her the same stuff Aang and Zuko were telling her, but she hoped hearing it from them might actually make it sink in.

She would just have to wait until she got home. For now, she had to endure the ceremonial viewing of the body, the cremation, and then the interment into the royal family's vault deep beneath a shrine on a country estate that had been built centuries ago for the sole purpose of serving as the place where the mourning family members could go to spend time with their lost loved ones—or gloat over deceased rivals, as Zuko had once cynically put it when he was feeling particularly depressed in the days leading up to the arrival of Sozin's comet.

Mai was gone, taken from them too early, never able to be a mother to Lu Ten, leaving Zuko alone to raise his son and rule his nation. Would it be too much for him to bear, would he vanish into his grief as his uncle had once done?

She doubted it. Zuko was strong, and had friends and family by his side to keep his grief from overwhelming him.

_We won't _let_ it happen_, Katara vowed silently as the murmuring crowds fell silent. Zuko stepped forward to begin the chants honoring Mai's life as well as mourning her death.

_We won't let it happen_, she told herself again, even as she felt tears begin to gather in the corner of her eyes.

**To Be Continued in "One Door Closes", coming soon.**


End file.
